Arboviral News

April 27th, 2010

CDC Health Advisory

Potential for Dengue Infection Among Relief Workers Returning from Haiti

Summary: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received
reports of dengue fever among relief workers returning from Haiti, where the disease
is endemic. Health-care providers in the United States should consider dengue in
the differential diagnosis of febrile illness in any person who has recently been
in Haiti or other countries where dengue is being transmitted, and are encouraged
to submit samples to state health departments (available from AZ, CA, CT, FL, NY,
PR, and TX) or the CDC for proper laboratory testing. In US areas with Aedes mosquitoes
present, infected travelers may also present a risk for local spread of dengue virus(es).

Apri 20th, 2010

The Monroe County Health Department restated its mosquito-borne health advisory
on Monday, shortly after receiving confirmation of a new case of dengue in Key West.
This is the first reported case since the initial occurrence last summer. The last
confirmed cases were in mid-October. "We had hoped we’d be able to eliminate the
disease from Key West and took every effort to do so," Administrator Bob Eadie said.
"However, the confirmed case is not totally unexpected in that once dengue fever
has been established in an area, it is truly almost impossible to completely eradicate
it. In cooperation with the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, all actions
that can be taken locally are being continued and expanded."

The confirmed case was in a 41-year-old Key West man who was initially seen at local
military medical facilities on April 6. He was referred to Lower Keys Medical Center,
which then referred him to a hospital in Miami. Dengue was diagnosed based on symptoms
and later confirmed through lab tests. The man, who has since fully recovered, reported
no out-of-country travel within the past year. The Monroe County Health Department
has followed up with an investigation, the results of which strongly indicate that
the infection was acquired locally.